It had never been in my mind that Ezra Billings possessed overly much sound common sense, but on this night he showed himself the superior of Luther in that respect, for I heard him say in a low tone, leading his Tory friend aside as if to speak secretly: “I’m of the idea that we had better not waste any time in crowin’ over what we’ve done, an’ it’ll be better that we make our preparations for the visit to the fleet as soon as day breaks. There’s no tellin’ when the friends of these fellows may show themselves. Remember that your father said there were three, an’ we’ve found only two.” I could see even in the gloom that Luther was startled by the suggestion that there might be others of our company near at hand, for he stepped outside the fringe of bushes to look eagerly around, and no longer showed any very keen desire to taunt us. After a whispered conversation which we could not overhear, I saw Ezra Billings start off in the direction of the highway, and Luther began pacing to and fro where he might see us and at the same time make certain no one could approach from the road without being observed by him. The bushes hid him ever so slightly from our view, and, taking advantage of this fact, Sam began rolling over and over on the ground until he was close beside me, when he whispered softly: “Think you there is any chance Abe may get back before these curs are ready to take us to the fleet?” “None whatever, lad,” I replied despondently. “He could hardly go from here to Wallabout an’ back without stoppin’, ’twixt now an’ sunrise. Even with a good wind, an’ nothin’ to hinder him in the way, I fail to see how he might get here until after we’ve been a good twelve hours in the frigate’s prison.” “I’m not certain that death wouldn’t be more easy than a prisoner’s life!” the lad said bitterly, and for the instant I could think of no cheering word, for the gloom in my own heart was very thick just then. Suddenly came a ray of light, very faint, but sufficient to set my heart bounding violently. “With what are your hands bound?” I whispered ever so gently, keeping my eyes fixed on Luther to make certain he had no suspicion that we were holding converse one with another. “A rope, I believe, which Ezra Billings was wearin’ in the stead of a belt.” “Turn on your face. There is just a chance I might loosen it with my teeth.” Sam obeyed, but I could understand from the sluggishness of his movements that he had little faith in my ability to accomplish anything in such a manner. It was indeed a rope less than half an inch thick, as I found once I had set my teeth into it, and, faint though my hope was, I went feverishly to work, spurred to do that which at another time might have been impossible, by the picture of the prison aboard the frigate, which stood out clear and ominous in my mind.